The Tanzania Safari: Day 7

A full day in the world famous Ngorogoro Crater is quite an experience for the cameras! There are so many animals, with loads to see and photograph, that it literally doesn’t stop. Starting off with male buffalos chasing a mating pair of lions really sets the tone in the crater, as not long afterwards we found several more lions looking interested in some wildebeest. The real treat for the day was a sighting that started relatively tamely, with 4 black-backed jackals feeding on a wildebeest carcass. By the time we had left (around 3000 images later), more black-backed jackals had joined, kicking off the first round of fights, 60 or so vultures had flown in and were starting to harass the jackals, which were in turn chasing the vultures, 2 golden jackals came charging in and chased off the black-backed jackals, and finally, a large hyena ran in and settled all the squabbling, by taking the entire kill and running away. Magic photography! A pair of mating hyena popped up for us, and some black rhino sightings capped off another great day on safari.

Major sightings of the day:

Buffalo chasing lions

4 female and 2 young male lions

1 female and 1 young male lions

Large elephant herd

Too many male elephants to count

Too many buffalo to count

Too many hyena to count

2 male lions

Jackals, vultures and hyena feeding on wildebeest kill

Mating hyenas

2 sightings of black rhino

5 lions

7 black rhino in one sighting

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 6

Making our way out of Lake Manyara and across to the famous Ngorogoro Crater, we had non-stop sightings, and the cameras made the most of it! A large male lion started us off, quickly followed by a herd of elephants. The birds were again non-stop throughout the day, and a very brief look at a female leopard gave us another large mammal for our lists. Arriving at the crater itself is quite surreal, because you are right up on the rim of the crater (caldera to be exact) and inside a cloud, which creates a dense forest high above the warm plains below. It is a stark contrast to what waits below the cloud – the flat, open and heavily populated plains. We finished the day off with several sightings of lion, as well 4 black rhino. The lodge has the most wonderful view over the crater floor, and with a good pair of binoculars, you can start your safari from you private balcony.

Major sightings of the day:

Many sightings of male buffalo

Many sightings of male elephant

Male lion

Herd of elephants

Female leopard

Serval

Herd of buffalo

12 spotted hyenas hunting

4 black rhino

Male and female lion

2 golden jackals

3 lionesses

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 5

Heading back to the more traditional safari, we started off at Lake Manyara, an unbelievably beautiful place. The park surrounding the lake has some of the most incredible forests and trees I have seen, which makes it an ideal spot for birds. We did also manage to find a pride of lions resting next to the big lake (not up in the trees for which these specific lions are famous for), as well as some elephants, a few male buffalo, and a host of smaller animals. The lodge is built into the trees, and despite being ultra comfortable, makes you feel like you really are in nature.

Major sightings of the day:

2 herds of elephants

Troop of around 300 baboons

Male elephant

Pride of lions

3 male buffalo

Many different bird species

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tanzania Safari: Day 1 – 4

It is always exciting starting a new safari, but starting it on white sandy beaches on your own private island is very special indeed. Based on a small island just off the coast of Zanzibar (which itself is an island off the coast of Tanzania), we had the Indian Ocean waiting for us to jump right in, and we happily obliged. Zanzibar is well-known for its diverse and colourful marine life, and we managed to fit in a couple of dives as well as lots of snorkelling, but the highlight was undoubtedly swimming with a pod of about 50 common dolphins. They were quite relaxed, and actually came closer to us to investigate, which made for a few nice images. Back on the island, there are several little antelopes running around, and with a little effort, we managed some good images of them as well. It is very easy relaxing in such a wonderful setting, and taking in a brilliant sunset every evening. The open planned rooms maximise the space and the environment, giving you true comfort in a luxurious setting.

Major sightings:

50 common dolphins

2 aders’ duikers

Many suni

Peacock mantis shrimp

Spotted snake eel

Many different types of fish

To join us on safari, click here!

The Tiger Safari: Day 8 with Agra extension

On the final day of this wonderful safari, we kept the habit of waking up with the sun, and made straight for the Taj Mahal. The cameras were put to work early, as the lack of crowds and heat, coupled with the fantastic sunrise, made for some wonderful images. Our private guide showed us around the complex, letting us in on all the history of the area. After breakfast, we made our way across to Agra’s Red Fort, which is connected to the Taj Mahal through history, but has quite a unique history of its own. The fort was built in red sandstone, and has a lot of detail carved into it, making for many interesting compositions and images.

To join us on safari, click here!